Episode 161: Mary Berry

03/21/13 • 34 min

In 1977, Wendell Berry published The Unsettling of America, a book that started a national and international conversation on the state of agriculture in our country. The Berry Center’s mission is to continue his work by bringing focus, knowledge, and cohesiveness to the work of changing our ruinous industrial agriculture system into a culture that uses nature as the standard, that accepts no permanent damage to the ecosphere, and that takes into consideration human health in local communities. Tune in to The Farm Report, as Erin Fairbanks is joined by Mary Berry who describes some of the work the center is focusing on and some of the problems we face as a nation made up of small communities in our quest to improve the agricultural landscape in this great country. This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards and Sons.

“I just read a speech my grandfathers gave to congress in the 1940s and with a few minor changes the same speech could be given today and be completely relevant.” [10:50]

“If I think about the whole world – I don’t matter all that much. If I think about America, what can I really do? I took it down to the state, to the county, to the town and then to the farm that I live. At that point, then you find out that everything you do matters. So you start there, you start on the ground.” [17:45]

“Too often the local food movement thinks only of fruits and vegetables. We’ve got to think about calories and grain is an essential piece of this.” [26:00]

“We need a flourishing rural America to make our food secure.” [31:40]

—May Berry on The Farm Report

“I just read a speech my grandfathers gave to congress in the 1940s and with a few minor changes the same speech could be given today and be completely relevant.” [10:50]

“Too often the local food movement thinks only of fruits and vegetables. We’ve got to think about calories and grain is an essential piece of this.” [26:00]

“We need a flourishing rural America to make our food secure.” [31:40]

—May Berry on The Farm Report

Previous Episode

Episode 160: Beyond the Peel, Fair Trade Banana

We’re going beyond the peel on this week’s episode of The Farm Report as Erin Fairbanks hosts the Banana Coordinator at Equal Exchange, Nicole Vitello. Did you know the banana is actually an herb? Nicole discusses all things banana from organic farming to transport and sale. There’s a banana revolution afoot and Nicole shares her knowledge about the radical turn towards fair trade exchange and the market’s reaction to this push. The banana has been a staple of the kitchen table for as long as anyone can remember and Nicole talks about the process that brings each banana to our home. Tune and learn everything there is to know about the banana because Nicole really knows her stuff! This program was sponsored by Cain Vineyard and Winery.

“Bananas are a genetic clone...the plant is constantly reproducing from itself.. the plant can’t evolve.” [5:50]

“It’s a man – over – nature process to get the perfect banana...I cant think of any other product that actually trades that way.” [7:34]

“Fair trade was designed as tool to link producers with importing companies and also open up that line of trade to have certain securities. Fair trade sets a minimum price for bananas which no importer can pay below. On top of that, one dollar per 40lb box goes back to the producers coop as a social premium.” [21:10]

## –Nicole Vitello, Banana Coordinator at Equal Exchange on The Farm Report

Next Episode

Episode 162: Alex Young of Zingerman’s Roadhouse

Alex Young grows food at Cornman Farms, and cooks it at Zingerman’s Roadhouse! On this week’s episode of The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is chatting with Alex about running a farm and a restaurant. What inspired Alex to grow the food for his restaurant himself? Listen in to hear more about the menu at Zingerman’s Roadhouse, and their affinity for heritage breeds. What are some of the biggest problems that the restaurant and farm face regarding animal slaughter? Tune in to hear Alex and Erin talk about land access in Michigan, and the juxtaposition of sprawl and farmland in the Midwest. Learn more about Alex’s vision of farm-restaurants on this week’s episode of The Farm Report! This episode has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.